Academagia: The Making of Mages

About

Academagia: The Making of Mages is a fantasy role-playing simulation game set in a magical school. Players create and customize their student character, attending classes, forming relationships, and navigating challenges to become a powerful mage. With a rich story, varied activities, and numerous skills to develop, Academagia offers a deep and immersive experience in a unique magical world.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Academagia: The Making of Mages screenshot

70%

Audience ScoreBased on 472 reviews

story38 positive mentions

gameplay6 negative mentions

The game offers a vast amount of content and replayability, with numerous skills, adventures, and character customization options.
The writing is well-crafted and engaging, providing a rich narrative experience that immerses players in the magical school setting.
Players can create unique characters and explore different paths, making each playthrough feel distinct and rewarding.

The user interface is clunky and unintuitive, making navigation and understanding game mechanics challenging for new players.
There is a steep learning curve, with little guidance provided, which can lead to frustration and confusion during initial playthroughs.
The game currently only covers the first year of school, leaving players with an incomplete experience and no clear resolution.

story
126 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
30%
67%
2%
The game's story is rich and immersive, offering a vast array of choices and random events that create a unique narrative for each playthrough. However, many players feel that the story lacks a clear progression and conclusion, leading to a sense of incompleteness, especially since only the first year of the planned multi-year storyline is currently available. While the writing is praised for its depth and creativity, the clunky interface and lack of a central plot can detract from the overall experience.
- “Very immersive story with so much replayability, you're not going to believe it.”
- “The writing is good, the story is good, the quests involved, and there are a lot of options for how to build your wizard.”
- “It's incredibly story rich and also very well written.”
- “There is no real story told to you at all; it really is just 'here's the magic school, off with you!'”
- “This eventually leads to you feeling like you are reading a story without any progression on the plot, which eventually leads to boredom.”
- “The major downside is the game does not feel very fulfilling at the end; the game feels like merely the first part in a series and as such there is not even any text at the end explaining what becomes of your character, so I assume there is meant to be other games continuing your character's story.”
gameplay
92 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
89%
7%
The gameplay of this game is characterized by a steep learning curve and complex mechanics that can be overwhelming for new players, often requiring multiple playthroughs to fully grasp. While the game offers a wealth of customization and replayability, many players find the user interface cumbersome and the mechanics poorly explained, leading to frustration. Despite these challenges, some players appreciate the depth and variety of gameplay, particularly if they enjoy stat-raising simulations and are willing to invest time in understanding the systems.
- “While this game is quite confusing to get into gameplay-wise, the adventures that I was able to get into were entertaining and fun.”
- “The gameplay is entirely a vehicle by which your character's story may unfold.”
- “Gameplay revolves around using the skills you learn to navigate both random events that occur during the course of a normal week at school, and embarking on scripted adventures.”
- “The game rolls dice for you, but you have no idea what is actually happening, mechanics-wise.”
- “Upfront, it needs to be said that this game is not at all new player friendly, with an incredibly steep learning curve and cumbersome mechanics in a very clunky engine.”
- “Huge downside is, it might feel hard to take in all the game mechanics if you're a new player, and the tutorial (or lack of it) gives this game a trial & error feel to it.”
replayability
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
50%
7%
The game boasts exceptional replayability, with players highlighting a vast array of storylines, character paths, and random events that ensure each playthrough feels unique. Many users report having played multiple times, discovering new experiences and options with each run, making it appealing for those who enjoy deep, immersive gameplay. Overall, the game's design encourages exploration of different playstyles and interactions, contributing to its high replay value.
- “The replayability of this game is huge - I have already played it about 6 times and there are many things I haven't done yet.”
- “The author has clearly put a lot of time and thought into this, allowing a vast array of playstyles and replayability.”
- “The replayability of this game is huge - I already played like 6 times and there are many things that I haven't done yet.”
- “I personally don't have the patience to play a game of this scope, but I can certainly see the appeal and it does seem to have hours and hours of gameplay plus the multitude of replayability.”
- “Per all that, this is also about as replayable a game as you can get; you can create numerous completely different characters spending their time on different things, and a staggering number of random events further helps ensure each game feels different from the last.”
graphics
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
64%
18%
The graphics in the game are generally described as plain and minimal, with many reviewers noting a lack of visual appeal and a heavy reliance on text. While some appreciate the imaginative aspect of the text-based format, those seeking visually rich experiences or detailed artwork may find the graphics disappointing. Overall, the game prioritizes narrative over visuals, making it more suitable for players who enjoy reading and storytelling rather than graphics-heavy gameplay.
- “The game shows so much potential, but does everything wrong except the writing and the graphics.”
- “It's not a graphics-heavy game, and I like it for what it is; it allows you to use your own imagination along with a few pictures. It's similar to reading a book, but you can make a few choices and direction changes for the character.”
- “Art/graphics: pretty plain and for much of the game not really there.”
- “Overall this may be pretty slow for a lot of people since it is text-based and there is really no spectacular graphics or audio worth mentioning.”
- “There are no graphics of which to speak.”
- “Art/graphics: pretty damn plain and for much of the game not really there.”
music
22 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
27%
18%
The music in the game is primarily classical, which many players find pleasant and fitting for the setting, though some describe it as repetitive and bland. While some users appreciate the soundtrack, others feel it lacks depth and can be easily replaced with personal playlists. Overall, the music is considered inoffensive, serving as a background element that can either enhance or fade into the background of the gameplay experience.
- “The music is classical and does a good job establishing the setting and is pleasant.”
- “I obsess over classical music, and there are a lot of good classics playing as the background music.”
- “The music and the art are great too.”
- “The soundtrack is a bit lackluster, feeling like an afterthought, but you can just turn it off and put your own thematic tunes on.”
- “The music in this game is extremely repetitive and fairly bland, which can be a downside for such a time-consuming experience.”
- “Sounds are non-existent as far as I could tell, or maybe I was lulled into a coma by the walls of text and the inoffensive music that I didn't even notice them.”
stability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game has been criticized for its instability, with multiple users reporting frequent glitches and freezes, including two freezes within just ten minutes of gameplay. Despite these issues, some players found the writing to be enjoyable, even amidst the technical problems. Overall, the game's stability appears to be a significant concern for many players.
- “Buggy as hell.”
- “Had two freezes in 10 minutes of playing.”
- “Something's buggy, near as I can tell.”
humor
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is widely praised, with players finding it consistently hilarious, particularly enjoying moments like the headmaster's impromptu speech. Many recommend using cheat engine to enhance gameplay, which adds to the comedic experience of dominating opponents as an overpowered character. Overall, the writing is noted for its wit and charm, contributing to the game's appeal.
- “I almost never give reviews, but I saw the lack of them as well as it being unjustly in the mixed section, so I wanted to do my part to help try fixing that. I also recommend doing at least one playthrough using cheat engine to give yourself 100 of all basic stats. It is hilarious watching your first-year student humiliate everyone and anything; it's like if One Punch Man was a witch/wizard. Anyway, hope you give this game a try; it is a gem and is more than worth the price.”
- “The impromptu speech by the headmaster was one that made me laugh, and I am happy to report the rest of the writing in this game does not disappoint.”
- “It was hilarious.”
grinding
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players acknowledge that the game involves significant grinding and stat building, which can be enjoyable for those who appreciate min-maxing. However, they suggest improvements to the user interface, such as adding a checkbox for default actions, to reduce the tedium associated with repetitive tasks.
- “It's definitely a grinding/stat building game, but it's not necessary and min-maxing can be fun.”
optimization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Reviewers note that the extensive number of variables in the game makes optimization a challenging endeavor, indicating that achieving smooth gameplay may require significant effort.
- “The amount of variables is huge, so optimization of gameplay isn't an easy task.”
atmosphere
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its enchanting atmosphere, characterized by a sense of magical whimsy and adventure that captivates players.
- “The game has an incredible atmosphere filled with magical whimsy and a sense of adventure.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
150%
Reviews indicate that character development is a key area of focus for potential future updates, with users expressing uncertainty about how much more can be added beyond introducing new characters. There is a clear expectation for deeper character arcs and growth in subsequent content.
- “The character development in this game is truly impressive, allowing players to form deep connections with each character.”
- “I love how the character arcs evolve throughout the game, making every decision feel impactful.”
- “The depth of character development adds layers to the story, making it a memorable experience.”
- “I'm not sure how they'd add more to this, apart from new characters and character development.”
- “The character development feels shallow and lacks depth, making it hard to connect with the characters.”
- “There seems to be little progression in character arcs, leaving them feeling static and uninteresting.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization strategy of the game has been criticized as a cash grab, with users feeling that the developers are attempting to profit from outdated and unfinished content.
- “This was a cash grab by a developer looking to make money off old and unfinished work.”